Display device



Nov. 1s, 1952 y F, s, JOHNSON 2,618,390

DISPLAY DEVICE Filed Dec. 16, 1947 I 2 SHEETS-SHEET l 9 l,2 IIIIQSS l-Zl gpmazimm@ 9 :V l "7. .VT`

/Nve/vrae FI S. JOHNSON NOV. 18, 1952 F, s JOHNSON v 2,618,390

DISPLAY DEVICE Filed DB'C. 16, 1947 2 SHEETS- SHEET 2 symmv/:

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Patented Nov. 18, 1952 UNITED lS TATES FTENT OFFICE Application December16, 1947 Serial No. 792,049 In 'Great Britain December 16, 1946 2Claims. Cl. 1211-13) :The invention relates to a display ydevice and`'hasiforits object to afford vsimple means whereby `ione or morearticles can readily be arranged in 'a'variety lof display positionscontiguous to advertising, instructive or other literary matter'relating to the yarticle or articles displayed.

The display -device 'according to the invention comprises a frame yor'board having a `plurality Vof supports for a plurality of movable pegsor the like constituting supports f-'cr articles to be displayed or anvanchorage for a support, in combination with a screen applied oradapted to be applied to a 'face zof the frame or board, the said screenhaving at least one perforation through which one of the pegs 4or thelike can protrude.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood and carriedinto effect, reference is now made to the accompanying drawings inwhich:

Figure ,1 is a front view, partly broken iaway, of one form of thedisplay device according to the invention;

Figure 2 is `a vertical .section taken on the line II--II of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective view to an enlarged scale illustrating part ofthe frame and of one of the shelves With pegs used in the constructionaccording toFigures 1 and 2;

Figure 4 is a perspective View from below illustrating a platform foruse with the pegs;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective View of a modified form of shelf,pegs and screen;

Figure 6 is a sectional view on the line VI-VI of Figure 5;

Figure '7 is a sectional View on the line VII-VII of Figure 5.

The construction of display device according to Figures 1 to 3 consistsof a rectangular frame made up .of side frame members I and upper andlower frame members 2 and 3 of wood or synthetic resinous material, thelower frame member 3 being fitted with legs 4 so that the frame willstand vertically. The inner faces of the side frame members I areprovided with a plurality of spaced horizontally extending grooves 5,each groove in one of the members lying opposite a groove in the othermember.

The grooves 5 provide supports for shelves E which, for the purpose,have their ends formed with tongues 'I adapted to engage in the grooves,sufficient tolerance being allowed to enable the shelves to be withdrawnfrom the frame and then engaged with any selected pair of oppositelydisposed grooves in the side members. In the 2 embodiment illustratedthere are shown, by vway of example, sixteen pairs of grooves 5 and fourshelves 6.

In the figures now being described the shelves are shownas constitutedby solid boards of wood or synthetic resinous material. In the upperface of each shelf there is provided a plurality of channels 8 extendingat right-angles to the front and 'rear lfaces of the frame comprised bythe members I, '2 and 3. These -channels form seats 'for pegs 9 whichare of circular vcross--section and are slidable along the channels sothat one of their ends can project from the front face of the frame, thepegs being held in the channels `by arched strips Ill secured to theshelf. lTo limit their forward movement, the rearward ends of the pegsmay be provided with stop-pins l. I adapted to engage against the edgeof the adjacent strip ID. The frame is provided with a Yback pane1 4awhich is removable to 'permit adjustment in the positioning of theshelves and of the pegs.

In Figure 3 the channels 8 are shown to be of VI-shape lincross-section. They may, 'howeve-r, be of other sectional shape such aspart-circular `or rectangular. In the latter event, the pegs may alsoAbe of rectangular cross-section.

Cross-partitions -I2 are pro-vided in the frame above and below thegrooves 5 and spaced from lthe upper and lower frame members 2 and 3,thereby forming compartments in which are arranged rollers I3 upon whicha screen I4 of nexible material is wound. 'I'he screen passes from oneroller, over the front face of the frame, to the other roller. Thecompartments may contain guide rollers I5 which bear against the screento ensure that it will lie close against the front face of the frame.One end of each of the rollers I3 extends through a side member I of theframe and is fitted with a milled knob I6 to facilitate rotation of therollers in either direction.

The screen I4 is provided with a plurality of round holes I'I of adiameter slightly larger than that of the pegs 9, the holes being sopositioned on the exposed section of the screen that all of them can bebrought into register with the channels 8 in the shelves S by a suitablechoice of the position of the shelves in the frame. Usually the sectionof the screen for the time being exposed, will have only so many holesas are necessary for the passage of the number of pegs requisite forsupporting the particular number of articles to be displayed at thefront of the frame.

When the shelves Iare -arranged so that certain of the channels 8therein lie in register with all the holes provided in the exposed faceof the screen I4, the pegs can be pushed forward so as to enter theholes and projectrfrom the front face of the screen, the exposed partsof the pegs acting directly as supports or anchorages for the articlesto be displayed or as anchorages for supports for the 4articlesaccording to the nature of the latter. Y

Figure 4 shows a support adapted for cooperation with any two adjacentexposed parts of the pegs. The support consists of a platform I8 havingon its underface a pair of spring clips I9 adapted for engagement of theexposed ends of the pegs.

The parts of the screen I4 not covered by the displayed articles maybear literary matter relating to the articles.

Figures 5, 6 and 7 show a shelf 6 made .of sheet metal, the longitudinaledges of the shelf being bent to -form downwardly extending flanges 6c,6d, while the ends of the shelf are extended to form tongues 6e forengagement in the grooves 5 of the frame. In this case the pegs aredesignated 9a and are made from lengths of metal wire bent to U-shape,each peg extending through an elongated slot in the flange 6d .sov thatit canl be projected inwardly and outwardly of the shelf. Whenprojected, the pegs pass through elongated openings I'la in the screen,these openings being provided in place of the round holes Il previouslymentioned.

To limit the extent to which the pegs 9a may project from the exposedface of the screen, the

-free ends of the legs of the pegs are bent outwardly to form stops 9b.In Figure 5 the stops are adapted to engage with the rear face of theflange Bd. In Figures 6 and 7 the pegs are made longer than inFigure 5and the extent of their forward movement is limited by the provision ofprojections 2l formed by bending downwardly portions of the metal of theshelf.

rlhe possibility presents itself of combining in one frame shelves andpegs like those described with reference to Figures 1 to 3, with shelvesand pegs like those described with reference to Figures 5 to 7. I Inthis -event the screen I4 will have round holes Il as well as elongatedopenings lla. Y By havingv a screenvmounted on Winding rollers asdescribed, or by providing a series of separate screens, it is possibleto display various brands or types of articles With literatureappropriate to each. Moreover the position of the holes or openings inthe screen or screens can be chosen to suit the form of the articles tobe displayed, while always ensuring that these holes can be brought intoregister with the channels in the shelves to permit passage of the pegsused in supporting the articles.

I claim:

1. A display device comprising a frame, a plurality of shelves removablymounted in said frame, a plurality of pegs mounted transversely of saidshelves, guide means on said shelves for maintaining said pegs in spacedrelation along the shelves and permitting displacement of the pegs toproject beyond the front edge of the shelves, `a vertically movablescreen mounted against the said front edge of the shelves, said screenhaving perforations which can be aligned with certain of said pegs, andcan receive the aligned pegs therethrough, the ends of the pegs whichprotrude through said perforations forming supports at the exposed faceof the screen.

2. A display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the guide meanscomprises an arched strip extending along, and secured to, each of saidshelves, the pegs being slidingly engaged within the arches formed bysaid strip.

vFLETCHER SAMUEL JOHNSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ille ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 721,132 Brooks Feb. 17, 19031,295,246v Whittemore Mar. 4, 1919 1,415,959 OConnor May 23, 19221,827,969 Calkins Oct. 20, 1931 2,011,962 Wheatley Aug. 20, 1935 FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Date 19,199 Great Britain 1904 150,758Switzerland Apr. 16, 1932 839,710 France Apr, 11, 1939

